The present disclosure relates to a booklet stacking apparatus and method. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a booklet stacking mechanism and method of its use with which printed booklets can be stacked in a vertically stacked arrangement.
Many electrophotographic imaging devices such as printers can be equipped with booklet making apparatus that are configured for printing booklets, i.e., collections of various sheets of paper that are folded by the apparatus and then, typically, stapled along the fold line by the apparatus. Due to the particular media handling requirements for booklets, such booklets are often output by the booklet making apparatus to a stack-slide tray that is designed to receive booklets. With such a tray, the booklets are stacked in a linear, horizontal arrangement. An example of a stack-slide tray 100 is illustrated in FIG. 1.
As indicated in FIG. 1, the stack-slide tray 100 generally comprises an elongated tray 102 that extends horizontally outward from the booklet making apparatus 104, typically to a side of the apparatus. The stack-slide tray 100 typically further comprises a stop 106 that is used to prevent booklets 108 from falling off of the tray 102 as they are deposited thereon. As shown in FIG. 1, the stack-slide tray 100 is configured to receive booklets 108 with the stapled end 110 of the booklets facing away from the apparatus 104. More particularly, the stack-slide tray 100 is configured to begin in an initial retracted position (not shown) in which the stop 106 is positioned in relative close proximity to the booklet making apparatus 104, and gradually (typically incrementally) extend outwardly from the apparatus as booklets 108 are deposited in the tray 102. This gradual extension normally occurs in response to information sensed by a sensing arm 112, which senses the presence of booklets 108 in close proximity to the booklet making apparatus 104.
Operating in the manner described above, the stack-slide tray 100 functions to arrange the booklets 108 in a sequential, layered orientation such as that indicated in FIG. 1. As is evident from FIG. 1, booklets 108 are deposited in the stack-slide tray 100 until the height of the booklets activates the sensing arm 112 so as to cause the tray to extend away from the booklet making apparatus 104. As can be appreciated from FIG. 1, the partially overlapping manner in which the booklets 108 are deposited on the tray 102 is necessary in that the portion of the booklets 108 adjacent the stapled sides 110 is thicker, due to a pillowing effect, than the opposite sides of the booklets. Accordingly, if the partially overlapping orientation were not used, the booklets 108 would be unbalanced and would eventually topple off of the tray 102. As can further be appreciated from FIG. 1, however, the stack quality of the booklets 108 can be poor when a conventional stack-slide tray 100 is used. In particular, the booklets 108 can be deposited in disarray. If the fill level of a stack-slide tray 100 is not closely monitored, booklets 108 can fall to the floor, particularly where the stack-slide tray 102 is used to receive other (i.e., non-booklet) media. Accordingly, stack-slide trays such as that shown in FIG. 1 typically do not work well in multi-use environments.
Even where the booklets 108 do not fall from the slide-stack tray 100, the booklets can be deposited such a random order that it is difficult to determine the printing order. Although not a problem where each booklet is identical, disorder of the booklets can be disadvantageous where different booklets are printed (e.g., in separate printing jobs) in that the booklets then must be manually re-ordered by a human being. Finally, another disadvantage of stack-slide trays is the relatively large amount of space that is required for full extension of the tray.
From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have an apparatus and method for stacking booklets that avoids one or more of the aforementioned problems associated with conventional booklet stacking arrangements.
The present disclosure relates to a booklet stacking apparatus and method. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a booklet stacking mechanism. In one arrangement, the booklet stacking mechanism comprises a gate that is adapted to be placed adjacent an output area of a booklet making apparatus, the gate being positionable in a closed position and an open position, a delivery path along which booklets can be delivered when the gate is in the open position, and a flipping mechanism that is adapted to receive booklets, invert them, and deposit them in an output bin.
The present disclosure also relates to a method for stacking booklets. In one arrangement, the method comprises the steps of permitting a booklet to be deposited in a vertical stacker bin, preventing another booklet from being deposited in the vertical stacker bin and instead delivering the other booklet to a flipping mechanism with which the booklet is inverted, and delivering the other booklet to the vertical stacker bin in the inverted orientation such that the booklets are arranged in a staggered configuration within the vertical stacker bin.
Additionally, the present disclosure relates to a printing device. In one arrangement, the printing device comprises means for attracting toner to a surface of a print medium, a booklet making apparatus, a vertical stacker bin, and a booklet stacking mechanism that comprises a gate positioned adjacent an output area of the booklet making apparatus, the gate being positionable in a closed position and an open position, and a flipping mechanism that is adapted to receive booklets, invert them, and deposit them in the vertical stacker bin.
The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.